The Foreign Service Journal, May 2012

M A Y 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 13 hough the Arab Spring began only a little more than a year ago, it is already clear that we are seeing a realignment of the Middle East play out. Whoever wins the White House this November will take office on the movement’s second anniversary; thus, now is an opportune time to take stock of its potentially transformative implica- tions for the next administration. This article begins by examining the movement’s effects on regional issues and summarizing the various drivers of F OCUS ON THE A RAB S PR ING A N A RAB S PRING P RIMER E VENTS IN THE M IDDLE E AST OVER THE PAST YEAR HAVE SET IN MOTION A REALIGNMENT THAT COULD PROVE TRULY TRANSFORMATIONAL . B Y A LLEN K EISWETTER MOHAMMED ABED/AFP/GETTY IMAGES T